Question about pickup height not adjusting...

[ABetterTelePlayer]

So I just got my axe from the shop recently. There's a few awesome mods I got, the guitar looks and feels awesome! And I got pickups installed there as well. However, I noticed that the bridge pickup is A BIT too high. And when I tried to adjust it, I felt the screw do a weird "springy" feeling. I can loosen it and the screw comes out but I tighten it and that pickup just gets higher to the point of hitting the string. My intonation is off due to this, there's some weird octave thing going on.

I really don't want to go back to the guitar shop as this is something I could probably fix myself. So what do I do? Is there a way to fix it without having to de-string the guitar?

 

[mandoloony]

I can loosen it and the screw comes out

This is the key. The pickup (or the screw) is catching on something - probably the guard cutout is slightly too tight somewhere. Try loosening the screw, then actually pushing the screw down. Chances are it will stay down. If that works, you can either sand the edges of the cutout or just get the pickup to the right height and leave it alone.

 

[ABetterTelePlayer]

This is the key. The pickup (or the screw) is catching on something - probably the guard cutout is slightly too tight somewhere. Try loosening the screw, then actually pushing the screw down. Chances are it will stay down.

Thanks!!!! I'll try this. I have never really done any of this myself due to lack of time but I guess now is the time to learn!

Do I just kinda move it around before pressing down? Or straight down?

 

[mandoloony]

Straight down should do it. That looks like a metal pickguard, so I'd try not to rub the screw threads against it when you push. I'd also try not to angle the pickup very much for the same reason - the more vertical you can keep the mounting screws, the less chance of them catching on the holes.

 

[ABetterTelePlayer]

Straight down should do it. That looks like a metal pickguard, so I'd try not to rub the screw threads against it when you push. I'd also try not to angle the pickup very much for the same reason - the more vertical you can keep the mounting screws, the less chance of them catching on the holes.

Got it. Both screws are now removed completely. And the pickup is so tight it doesn't move anywhere. It's a stacked single coil, not sure if that makes a difference?

Can't over tighten right? I'm afraid of splitting wood, I just heard something

 

[mandoloony]

Oh... If the screws are removed completely it may be difficult to get them back into the pickup base without removing the guard from the body. But then, it sounds like the guard needs to come off anyway to loosen the pickup. The wood should be fine, but the pickup cover may suffer if the guard is too tight around it.

One way or another, you're going to have to take the guard off

 

[ABetterTelePlayer]

Oh... If the screws are removed completely it may be difficult to get them back into the pickup base without removing the guard from the body. But then, it sounds like the guard needs to come off anyway to loosen the pickup. The wood should be fine, but the pickup cover may suffer if the guard is too tight around it.

One way or another, you're going to have to take the guard off

Okay, do I have to take the knobs off for that?


Thanks by the way. Yeah, the bridge pickup won't budge

 

[Killing Floor]

The things listed above. And sometimes pick guard holes and pickups aren’t the same size. I’ve had to scrape in the guard a little before.

 

[ABetterTelePlayer]

The things listed above. And sometimes pick guard holes and pickups aren’t the same size. I’ve had to scrape in the guard a little before.

Thanks but do the knobs come off before the pickgaurd?

 

[thegaijin]

Yeah. You need to remove the knobs. Careful not to damage anything by prying them off.

 

[ABetterTelePlayer]

Yeah. You need to remove the knobs. Careful not to damage anything by prying them off.

They are not those kind of knobs, they require a small tool that I don't have lol

 

[Peegoo]

@ABetterTelePlayer

You do not need to remove the knobs.

Yeah, the bridge pickup won't budge

Take it back to the shop. They did not properly install that pickup because it should have some adjustability. It should not be stuck in one position.

That is unprofessional work and they need to make things right.

 

[mandoloony]

Yup, no reason to remove the knobs. And I agree that it's reasonable to have the shop/tech tweak it until it adjusts easily.

 

[ABetterTelePlayer]

@ABetterTelePlayer

You do not need to remove the knobs.



Take it back to the shop. They did not properly install that pickup because it should have some adjustability. It should not be stuck in one position.

That is unprofessional work and they need to make things right.

Yup, no reason to remove the knobs. And I agree that it's reasonable to have the shop/tech tweak it until it adjusts easily.

Sadly I figured as much, and it's a local music/guitar shop. If I can't fix it, I might take it somewhere else. Just kinda embarrassed about it at the moment. It's a small "owned by one man" business so I tipped considerably well. Now I'm kinda.... Well, I mean with YouTube tutorials on everything maybe I should just learn to do things myself.

 

[Wallaby]

I agree with @Peegoo it should go back, and if you get grief about removing the pickup mounting screws you only did it to try to adjust them, and that's borked because of their work.

A few minutes with a needle file would probably take care of the issue, IMO. But it shouldn't have come to that for you.

 

[ABetterTelePlayer]

A few minutes with a needle file would probably take care of the issue, IMO. But it shouldn't have come to that for you.

This may be a dumb question BUT do you mean I could use the needle file to shape the Pickguard hole where the bridge pickup sits in? To create more room for the pickup to be lose?

 

[Jakedog]

You said it’s a stacked pickup? It may not adjust down because it may be taller than the original pickup and now it’s already sitting on the bottom of the cavity. If you want it to sit lower, the pickup cavity may need to be made deeper.

Not saying that’s definitely the issue, just saying I’ve had it happen.

 

[ABetterTelePlayer]

You said it’s a stacked pickup? It may not adjust down because it may be taller than the original pickup and now it’s already sitting on the bottom of the cavity. If you want it to sit lower, the pickup cavity may need to be made deeper.

Not saying that’s definitely the issue, just saying I’ve had it happen.

That would suck and I'd likely change out the bridge pickup if that's the issue. If I would have known this could be a possibility before, I would have likely never bought the set. I took the strings off already but haven't took the Pickguard off to check it out yet

 

[Solaris moon]

That would suck and I'd likely change out the bridge pickup if that's the issue. If I would have known this could be a possibility before, I would have likely never bought the set. I took the strings off already but haven't took the Pickguard off to check it out yet

OK. I've read all the suggestions so far. There's not enough information for me to figure out just what your problem really is. First is it a Strat or a Tele? And is the pickup a side by side configuration or just wound around itself in two directions (humbucking)? Meaning that if it's like the side by side then I can understand thinking that it's the pickup but I'm thinking that if it's the screw the spring inside might be compressed against the hole in such a way that the ends of the spring where it finishes is open - think of it like the key chain effect. If this gets caught up inside the hole for the screw the spring end will catch and keep it from being easy to adjust. I've had I don't know how many guitars go through my hands over the last thirty years - hundreds? But this has happened I can't tell you how many times. Do you have any pictures of this guitar so that we can help you a little better? Otherwise you shouldn't be embarrassed - take it back and have it made right.

 

[ABetterTelePlayer]

OK. I've read all the suggestions so far. There's not enough information for me to figure out just what your problem really is. First is it a Strat or a Tele? And is the pickup a side by side configuration or just wound around itself in two directions (humbucking)? Meaning that if it's like the side by side then I can understand thinking that it's the pickup but I'm thinking that if it's the screw the spring inside might be compressed against the hole in such a way that the ends of the spring where it finishes is open - think of it like the key chain effect. If this gets caught up inside the hole for the screw the spring end will catch and keep it from being easy to adjust. I've had I don't know how many guitars go through my hands over the last thirty years - hundreds? But this has happened I can't tell you how many times. Do you have any pictures of this guitar so that we can help you a little better? Otherwise you shouldn't be embarrassed - take it back and have it made right.

The set is this specific one:

Seymour Duncan Cory Wong Clean Machine 3-piece Pickup Set - White

Cory Wong Signature Pickup Set for Stratocaster with RW/RP Middle, Alnico IV, and Alnico V Magnets - White

www.sweetwater.com

I'll update tomorrow as I check it out and find out more, unfortunately it's time for bed